Today, we’ll take you to Pho 97, a newly opened Vietnamese restaurant that exudes charm of the winding alleys of Hoi An, one of Vietnam’s best-preserved ancient towns, famous for its lantern-lit nights – especially during the monthly Hoi An Lantern Festival.
Step inside and you’ll find the ceiling adorned with traditional Vietnamese lanterns, each crafted with bamboo frames and colorful silk, radiating a warm, festive glow. Commonly seen during the Mid-Autumn Festival and Tết (New Year Festival), these lanterns symbolize happiness and prosperity, adding to the restaurant’s ambiance.
Restaurant Profile
🏷️ Name of the Restaurant: Phở 97
📍 Adress: Berger Str. 97, 60316 Frankfurt am Main
🍜 Style: Vietnamese Cuisine – pho, curry, stir-fries, rice & noodle dishes, salad, summer & spring rolls
💰 Price: around 20 – 30 EUR per Person (incl. Drinks and Tips)
The bold red backdrop—an auspicious color in Vietnamese culture representing luck and good fortune— brings a warm and lively vibe. The seating is cozy, with plush sofas and intimate tables for two or four, ideal for relaxed, casual dining.
When it comes to drinks, Vietnamese restaurants often have very good offerings, whether hot or cold. And Pho 97 is no exception. Before we dive into the food, let’s talk about a few of our favorite beverages.
First up is the Avocado Smoothie, a luscious mix of ripe avocados, sweetened condensed milk, and a touch of Vietnamese finesse. Rather than a drink, the smoothie is more like a dessert in a glass. The ripe avocado lends a rich, buttery texture that blends with the sweet condensed milk.
It’s very milky, thick and indulgent, with a hint of honey-like sweetness.
The yogurt taste balances the rich avocado and milk with a refreshing tartness.
This smoothie isn’t meant to quench your thirst—it’s more of a dessert-like treat when you’re in the mood for something creamy and refreshing.
Pho 97’s homemade juices are also worth a try, such as the Maracuja Juice—a refreshing Vietnamese-style passion fruit drink.
This juice is a balance of sweet and sour, with the bold tartness of passion fruit instantly awakening the taste buds, followed by the right amount of sweetness to round it out. The drink is packed with loads of real passion fruit pulp that pops with every sip.
A slight fizz enhances its refreshing quality, while fresh mint on top complements the tangy-sweet maracuja with a light, cooling aroma.
It’s bright, zesty drink full of tropical flair.
The classic mango lassi at Pho 97 gets a Vietnamese touch. The Mango Lassi à la Vietnam is a fusion of fresh, juicy mangoes and creamy yogurt, delivering a refreshing, tropical indulgence with a hint of Vietnamese finesse.
Unlike the traditional Indian mango lassi, this version is less sweet, letting natural ripeness of the mango take center stage. The milkiness is rich and smooth, creating a velvety, creamy mouthfeel. Each sip is light and cooling with a good balance of tangy-sweet flavors. A sprig of Fresh mint on top elevates the drink’s refreshing appeal.
The Tra Hoa Hong, or Rose Tea, is a delicate and soothing brew that brings together the natural fragrance of rose petals with a hint of sweetness.
Made with dried rose flowers, goji berries, and sweet dried dates, this tea is as aromatic as it’s relaxing. The roses lend a gentle floral aroma, while the goji berries add a tangy-sweet note.
Both goji berries and dates are edible. The dried dates soften in the warm tea, releasing a mellow, honey-like richness that enhances the slightly sweet undertone.
Now, let’s move on to the food, starting with the appetizers!
The Chả Giò Rế, or Vietnamese Net Spring Rolls, stand out with their lace-like, webbed exterior that makes them extra light and crunchy. This special texture comes from a delicate rice paper net, which crisps up when fried, creating an ultra-thin, golden crust that shatters with every bite.
Inside, the filling is tender, savory, and brimming with umami. Made with juicy shrimp, it brings a natural brininess and depth of flavor. Paired with teriyaki sauce, the rolls take on an extra richness—the sauce’s sweet and savory notes blend nicely with the shrimp’s delicate taste, creating an irresistible mix of crispy, soft, salty, and slightly sweet flavors.
The Lá Lốt, or Grilled Beef in Betel Leaves, consists of tender beef rolled inside betel leaves.
The leaves impart a slightly herbal and peppery aroma, balancing the beef’s deep savory taste. They also help mellow out the slight oiliness from the grilling and bring a refreshing quality.
The beef itself is lean, succulent, and full of robust flavor, served in generous portions for a satisfying bite.
The rolls come with a side of fresh salad for a cool contrast. To finish it off, the crushed peanuts and roasted onions add a nutty sweetness, a touch of smokiness and crunch. It’s rich, savory, herbal, fresh, and crunchy all in one bite!
The Tofu Chiên, or Crispy Fried Tofu, is deep-fried to a golden crisp, creating a slightly chewy mouthfeel with a dry yet airy interior. The texture is similar Old Tofu (老豆腐)—firm, slightly dense, with a satisfying chew. The tofu itself has a mild, slightly nutty flavor with subtle soy undertones that pairs beautifully with teriyaki sauce.
The teriyaki sauce adds a rich, glossy coating with deep umami and sweet notes, complementing the tofu’s subtle taste. The sesame seeds on top bring a toasty aroma, while a side of fresh lettuce salad provides a refreshing contrast. It’s a dish full of balanced, comforting flavors.
Now, finally, the main dish – we go straight to Pho 97’s signature dish called Pho 97: a special rice noodle soup served in a boiling stone pot, where you build your own bowl right at the table.
This way of eating pho may not be your typical Vietnamese noodle soup experience. Instead of pre-made bowls, the ingredients are added fresh into the bubbling broth, where the flavors develop in real-time.
The best way to cook the raw ingredients is to start with the raw beef slices, letting them sink to the bottom while the broth is still boiling. As the beef simmers, it releases its natural juices, infusing the soup with deep, rich umami and an unmistakable beefy aroma.
The beef quickly turns silky and tender, making every bite incredibly succulent. As meat is minimally seasoned, the broth won’t get too salty, but rather light, deeply soothing, and layered with beefy richness.
Next, add the rice noodles, allowing them to absorb the broth’s flavors.
Then comes the cooked, marinated beef, which has a mild, braised-like seasoning (卤味) — mildly savory, deeply flavorful, and incredibly tender, attached with soft, melt-in-your-mouth tendon that requires no chewing.
The beef meatballs in the soup are already cooked, offering a bouncy, firm, and juicy bite. To top it off – raw onions, bean sprouts, mint, and coriander add crunch, freshness, and herbal complexity. Finally, customize it to your liking with fresh chilies for heat and a squeeze of lemon for brightness.
Sensory and aromatic, this is pho reimagined—as the heat rises from the pot, carrying the scent of beef, herbs, and spices, every sip is a pure satisfaction.
Cơm Sườn features char-grilled pork chop, served with fresh salad, fluffy rice, and a side of fish sauce.
The pork chop is grilled till golden-brown, crisp on the outside, and tender inside. Mainly lean, with just the right amount of fat, it has an intense, deeply meaty flavor. The edges are slightly charred and caramelized from the marinade, giving it smoky-sweet taste.
The fish sauce is an essential part of the dish. It’s lightly sweet, slightly tangy, and incredibly refreshing. Drizzle some over the crisp, fresh salad and leave the rest for dipping the meat, enhancing every bite with its bright, umami depth.
Cool cucumber slices balance the richness of the pork, while a generous sprinkle of roasted peanuts lends a nutty aroma and crunch. Every forkful is a nice interplay of crunchy, juicy, smoky, nutty, savory and refreshing elements.
Phở Đặc Biệt is a special variation of Vietnamese rice noodle soup. It comes with an aromatic broth, tender beef slices, beef balls, and fresh herbs and vegetables. What makes this dish special is the Bánh Quẩy, a crispy, airy fried dough stick that adds an interesting twist to this traditional pho dish.
While Bánh Quẩy is more commonly paired with dishes like cháo (Vietnamese rice porridge), eating it with pho is not unusual. The dough stick has a light, crispy texture and a very mild, neutral flavor – an excellent vessel to soak up the rich broth.
The best way to enjoy it is to dip the fried dough stick into the steaming broth, but not for too long. Let it absorb the beefy essence while retaining its crisp exterior. Done right, the result is an explosion of flavors —the rich, savory broth fusing with the indulgent, fried dough – utterly satisfying. Too much soaking, however, can make it mushy, loosing that irresistible texture.
The broth is light yet deeply flavored, with a light marrow sweetness, likely from slow-simmered bones. There are also onions in the broth, with fresh chili, cilantro, bean sprouts, and a lemon wedge on the side to tailor the dish.
The beef is expertly cooked: thinly sliced marinated beef requires barely any chewing. Poached beef is similarly lean and tender, full of natural beefy flavor. Beef balls are firm and springy – a delightful textural contrast to the delicate beef slices.
Every spoonful is a blend of silky noodles, rich beef flavors, and herbal brightness. With Bánh Quẩy to dip, it becomes even richer, heartier and more indulgent.
Bò Lúc Lắc, also known as “shaking beef,” is a popular Vietnamese dish featuring tender beef steak cubes, seared to achieve a smoky, caramelized crust. The name “lúc lắc” comes from the tossing motion used to shake the beef in the pan, ensuring an even sear on all sides. The result is intensely flavorful, umami-rich meat with a slightly chewy, lean, and deeply beefy bite.
The beef is stir-fried with crisp red, green, and yellow bell peppers, along with sweet caramelized onions, crunchy carrots, and fragrant spring onions. Toasted sesame seeds add a warm nuttiness, while fresh lettuce provides a refreshing contrast.
Lime dressing, commonly used in Vietnamese cuisine, adds a bright, citrusy note. Made from fresh lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, and black pepper, the dressing strikes a balance of tangy, sweet, and savory flavors. When drizzled over the lightly charred beef, the acidity cuts through the meat’s richness, giving the dish a lively touch.
Beyond what’s mentioned, you’ll also find popular Vietnamese appetizers like Chả Giò, crispy fried spring rolls, and Gỏi Cuốn, fresh summer rolls in rice paper. The menu extends to dumplings, wonton soups, curries, rice dishes with stir–fries, and, of course, an array of rice noodle specialties.
Their pho truly left an impression – especially their signature Phở 97. As thin slices of raw beef gently cook in the steaming broth, they effortlessly reveal the very heart of Vietnamese pho. From the restaurant’s pho broth, you can taste the labor of love – carefully simmered for long hours to extract deep flavors from beef bones, meat, vegetables, and fragrant spices, with every impurity skimmed away for a crystal-clear soup, and utmost comfort and flavors.
